Improvement in wheels for vehicles



" JAM ES DAVIS. Improvement in Wheels for Vehicle's'.

' I `P e t dM 1h12' 187,2. fm2 No.124,554. a e e arc 9 WJWJJM. In v@ n a r.

UNTTnn STkTns JAMEs DAVIS, or LoNe IsLANn CITY, Nnw vonk.

-IWIPR'iIElVlENT IN WHEELS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,554, dated March 12, 1872 5 antedated March 9, 1872.

To all whom Iit may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES DAVIS, of Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and 1mproved Wheel; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

This invention consists in a novel construction ofthe hub whereby the spokes are very iirmly secured within it, and it may be adjusted to clamp and tighten them after shrinkage, and convenient provision is made for the insertion of a new spoke should one be broken. It also consists in a hollow felly of novel construction, having aconeave periphery on which the tire is shrunk, and thereby secured without the use of bolts or rivets, the holes for the reception of which considerably weaken the tire.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a face view of'a wheel made according to my invent-ion. Fig. 2 is an axial section of the same. Fig. 3 is an outside view of the hub alone. Fig. 4. is a view of the body of the hub alone; Fig. 5, a facial section of one of the fellies. Fig. 6 is a top view of portions of two, showing the manner in which they are iitted together. Fig. 7 is an end view of the hub with its cap removed, and Fig. S is an inside view ofthe cap.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A is the main portion or body of the hub, on the forward or outer portion ot' which there is formed a sleeve, B, on whose exterior are spirally arranged lugs or broken screw-threads a a, with spaces between them to permit the passage of lugs in the cap (l. The rear or inner portion c of said sleeve is somewhat larger than the rest, and in the adjacent edge of the said body A are two series of recesses, each alternate recess cl d being of a size to receive twothirds of one ofthe spokes D D, and the intermediate recesses e e being of a size to receive one-third of the other spokes. E is the axlebox, which nts snugly within the body A of the hub, and has formed on the exterior of its rear portion two ribs, b b, that fit in grooves in the rear end of the said body A, and thereby lock it and the axle-box so as to turn together 5 and if necessary they may be locked longitudinally by a set-screw screwing through the former and impinging against the latter. F is a collar that tits so as to be capable of sliding on the portion c of the sleeve C, close to, but not so as to be in contact with, the body A. This collar has formed in its inner edge two series of recesses. Each recess of one series, j' f, is of a size to receive one-third of a spoke, and when the collar is in place come opposite one of the recesses d d in the edge of the body A, and with it receives one spoke; and each of the other series g g is of a size to receive two-thirds of a spoke, and comes cpposite one of the recesses e e, and with it receives the end of a spoke. By thus arranging the recesses the spokes have a zig-zag appearance, alternate spokes inclinin g the same way, thereby bracing the wheel laterally. The cap or outside section C of the hub has formed in its interior a flange, h, by which it is centered on the end of the axle-box E, and in rear of this ange are two lugs, t i, that, as the said cap or section is fitted on the sleeve C', pass between the spiral lugs a, a therein, and, as it is turned or screwed on,workbehind said lugs and draw the cap against the collar or middle seetion E, thereby crowding it against the spokes and securing it in place. The cap, after havying been screwed up, may be secured by-a setscrew screwing through and bearing against the sleeve G. G G are the fellies of the wheel, which are of holl'oyvV construction, and open at their peripheries, as shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6, and have atongu, m, on one end, and a groove,

a, in the other which, when the fellies are secured together, fit into one another and form a very secure joint. They have spoke-sockets jj formed in them of the form shown in Fig. 5, and from these sockets there extend to the periphery ribs k lathe edges ot' which are con` cave, and help to supportthe tire H. Between the said sockets are ribs Z l, whose edges are also concave andhelp to support the tire. The said tire EI is of concave form in its transverse section, and is shrunk over the concave ribs and ends of the fellies which form a concave periphery. By means of the described construction oi' the hub the cap C can be screwed up to tighten the collar on the spokes after shrinkage, and as .the nut bears against the collar F instead of against the spokes, the latter are not torn or otherwise marred by operation. Should one of the spokes be broken zt new one con be inserted in its place without taking the wheel to pieces, by simply loosching or removing the cap and coller, inserting, e spoke and replacing the nut and collur. By making the fellies hollow they are made very light, and by tting them together bymeztns of tongues an d grooves, avery Strong wheel is obtained. The tire, if very heavy,

mustbe bent before being secured to the wheel; but if light may simply be shrunk on, and when thus secured is Very firm, and is not weakened by :my boltholes penetrating it.

VVhet I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isu

stantially as and for the purpose herein described.

JAMES DAVIS, Witnesses:

FRED. HAYNES, R. E. RABEAU. 

